


Luck

by AlbaAdler



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, F/M, Orphan Peter Parker, Parent Pepper Potts, Sick Peter, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:15:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21928828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbaAdler/pseuds/AlbaAdler
Summary: Everything was so wonderful that he couldn't understand how people could say he was unlucky when he was living in the best place in the world, with the best people on the planet and everything was perfect... Until he got sick and ruined everything.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 36
Kudos: 292





	1. Peter

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this. I love reading your comments.  
> Please let me know if you find any mistakes since english is not my first tongue.

Although he was only eight years old, Peter was aware that the things that had happened to him were not common and he often heard people talking about the bad luck he had had in life. He had a picture of his parents holding him when he was a baby, but he, of course, did not remember them, because he had been told that they had died in a car accident when he was just six months old, very soon after that picture was taken. He had no pictures of his uncles, with whom he had only lived a little over a year. The two had died in a mugging on their way back from a dinner party and since they were his last relatives he had been taken to an orphanage. He could not remember that part either, his first memories were of Mrs. Thompson, who always smelled of garlic, the house with the green door and her two Siamese cats. There he spent the first Christmas that he could remember with Michael and Damian, who were then much older than he is now, and who were also in Mrs. Thompson's care. Michael was fat, he had red hair, and he used to hit him in the ribs so that no one would notice the bruises. Damian was blond, freckled, and although he hardly ever hit him, he would take half his food away, so in that house with the green door he was always hungry. They all left when the social worker discovered that the two older boys were smoking some kind of cigarettes that he understood were very bad. The only thing he missed about that place was the cats, he liked the way they purred as they passed between his legs.

In some of the other houses he was in, he wasn't beaten or was beaten more. In some of them he did not go hungry, in one of them there was a dog which he later missed as much as Mrs. Thompson's cats, but in none of them was there anyone who wanted him forever and that really wasn't so bad because he hadn't liked anyone enough to want to stay either.

When Christmas came, if he was lucky in some houses, he would find a present for him, although it was always socks or a second-hand jacket. No one remembered his birthday; that didn't seem serious to him because even he wasn't sure when it was, although he supposed he must have had one, because apparently everyone did.

All these things made people say that he was very unlucky. He never stopped to think about it because there were good things. Since he always got good grades one of his teachers had asked permission to give him a very long test and although he never knew exactly what mark he had gotten on it, he assumed that it must have been very good because after that he was moved to a different school where the teachers were very smart and he had a lot more fun.

The school became his favorite place, and that's when the best came along because when he won a science contest at the school he discovered that the prize was to compete with other kids at Washington and he was very lucky because, they explained, his new school and the expenses for him to travel were sponsored --sponsored meant that someone else paid-- by a scholarship from Stark Industries. In Washington he won first place, and the best thing about it was that he met Mr. Stark, who was super smart and knew a lot more than all the teachers he had ever met before. Mr. Stark congratulated him when he won again and assured him that he would accompany him to Prague, where he would again compete with children from all over the world, because it was good publicity for his company.

He did not win. His project came second, and that made him feel very sad because he assumed that losing was not good publicity for Mr. Stark who had been so kind to Peter. Anyway, Mr. Stark did not get angry with him for not winning, he assured him that all the judges were stupid and needed help to tie their shoes alone, he congratulated him because the girl who had won the first place was five years older than Peter, and he also assured him that in a couple of years he would definitely have that prize in his hands.

Just returning to New York, Mr. Stark took him to his social worker and another lady named Virginia Potts who was his wife.

"You did a very good job, Peter. We're all so proud of you." Gladys told him, Peter merely nodded as he hugged his trophy because he was never sure what to do when people congratulated him. "Mr. Stark and his wife have asked me to talk to you," she told him as everyone sat in the noisy chairs in Gladys' office.

Mrs. Stark smiled at him again and gave him a couple of affectionate pats on the shoulder. She was very pretty and seemed friendly too.

"Do you remember when we explained to you that your school and some expenses were paid for a scholarship founded by Mr. Stark?" Peter nodded. "Well, for Mr. Stark would like you to accompany him to some meetings so that people would know how the children who receive that scholarship benefit."

"Don't worry, honey." Mrs. Stark reassured him as she stroked his hair. "You'd just have to tell some people about your school and the contest you won."

"It would only be a couple of weeks and during that time you would live with Mr. Stark and his wife."

The trophy slipped out of his hands when he jumped to his feet in surprise. Live with Mr. Stark? That was a lot better than winning a hundred contests at once.

"What do you say, kid? Would you like to help us out?"

Peter nodded so quickly that he thought his head might fall off.

The next seven days seemed like an eternity to him, but he was told there was a lot of paperwork to sort out before he could go to Mr. Stark. When the day finally came, he could hardly believe it. They traveled in Mr. Stark's private plane where he had a screen for himself on which he could see whatever he wanted and they also had lots of candy, although Mrs. Stark warned him that he had to eat first.

Mr. and Mrs. Stark's house in Malibu was huge. Bigger than their whole school; so big that during the first week he got lost every time he tried to go back to his room. Because he had a huge room to himself. In his room he had lots of books, games, a big screen and even his own computer. Of course, he could only use those things during the weeks he would be living in that house.

Mrs. Stark told him he could call her Pepper, and Mr. Stark wanted him to just call him Tony, but the first time he took him to his office at Stark Industries everyone was so scared when they saw him coming and called him Mr. Stark with a bow on their heads, so he couldn't just call him Tony.

The meetings that he had to go to and that he was so afraid of turned out to be very easy. Mr. Stark would put him in a chair for everyone to see him, and he simply tell them about his new school, the teachers and his project for the contest. At first he was afraid to talk with so many people looking at him, but then Mr. Stark told him to forget everyone else and think it was just the two of them in the room, and when he did that it was easier.

The first few weeks he only had to do the homework that the teachers had given him for the days he would be away, but when Mr. and Mrs. Stark told him that he could stay with them for two more months they decided to put him with a private teacher so that he would not fall behind in school.

The classes were fun, especially when Mr. Stark was with them and in the end it was he who ended up giving the science lesson. He also liked it when they watched a movie, cooked or made Legos or worked in the lab.

Whenever Pepper was in the house, she would go to tuck him in at night, ask him if he had brushed his teeth and give him a kiss. He liked that a lot, too.

On top of that, for the first time, he had a birthday cake, and presents that they assured him he could take with him when he left. He didn't like the thought of having to leave because it made him feel sad, for the first time he had a house that he didn't want to leave and people who treated him well and he never wanted to say goodbye.

When the two months were almost up, they promised him that he could spend Christmas and the New Year's Eve with them. And that was great, because he had seen pictures and knew that they would have a huge Christmas tree full of lights and with a star that looked like the sun, lots of presents and food. And he could be there. And maybe, if his Christmas wish came true, they would ask him to stay a few more weeks. He knew he wasn't going to be with them forever, he really knew, he just wanted to stay a little longer.

Everything was so wonderful that he couldn't understand how people could say he was unlucky when he was living in the best place in the world, with the best people on the planet and everything was perfect... Until he got sick and ruined everything.

"Honey, don't you think you've had enough candy?" Pepper asked, peeking over the papers she was reading. She didn't seem angry. Neither of them was angry with him. Sometimes she was busy, and he was distracted, but he had never been treated as well as he was then.

"I think is enough for today, kid." Mr. Stark took away the candy and messed up his hair like he always did.

He obeyed instantly and made no protest. He followed Mr. Stark when he asked him to go work on their project with the drone, but shortly before dinner his stomach started to hurt and although he tried to ignore it, after a while it hurt so much that he had to shrink to avoid crying.

"What's up, buddy?"

When he could do nothing but sigh, Mr. Stark knelt in front of him and worriedly touched his forehead. He asked him if his stomach hurt, and before he could say yes, the man was already carrying him to his room.

"You have some fever. Stay in bed while I get you some tea and call the doctor, okay?"

Peter nodded and curled up in the blankets. He wanted to say he didn't need a doctor, but before he could open his mouth, Mr. Stark was gone. He returned only a few minutes later followed by Pepper, who ran to sit beside him on the bed and caressed his forehead, asking him not to worry, and making him sip tea. A doctor arrived before he could even finish his drink. After checking him, she told them that it was just a stomach infection and that in a couple of days he would be fine.

After the doctor left and they made him take a couple of very bitter pills, Pepper and Mr. Stark sat with him, one on each side of the bed, and Peter wondered if that was what parents did with their children when they got sick. Before that day, only if he felt very ill, he was allowed to stay in bed, but no one stayed with him to pet him or simply to keep him company.

Then it happened. He really tried to restrain himself, really. When he felt he couldn't take it anymore he wanted to get out of bed and go to the bathroom, but before he could even straighten up, he threw up on Mr. Stark and the blanket with the image of Iron Man covering his bed.

"It's okay, buddy. It's all right. Let's get you cleaned up so you can get some sleep. Don’t worry." Mr. Stark said very softly to him.

Neither of them seemed angry, they helped him to put on clean clothes, changed the bed and then stayed with him until he started feeling very sleepy. For a moment he thought everything would be fine, that he could still stay with them until Christmas at least. His eyes were already closed, and his head was resting on Mr. Stark's chest, he felt Pepper's hand tenderly squeezing his. They were quiet for a long time, until he was about to fall asleep for real. Then Pepper spoke very softly, as if she were telling someone a secret:

"Tony, I can't do this anymore. I just can't. We can't. I want to get over with it."

"It's about Peter, right? We promised him we'd spend Christmas together. It's just a few more days..."

"After what just happened, I understood that I can't do it. It can't be a few more days. We need to get this over with."

He felt someone kiss him on the forehead, but he was too focused on not to cry to know who it was. Without saying another word, the two of them left the room after tucking him in.

When he was left alone, he could cry, and then he understood why people always said that little Peter Parker was very unlucky.


	2. Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love reading your comments, they make me wriet faster!  
> Please tell me any mistake you find. :)

If someone had told him a few months ago, not only that he would spend entire afternoons in the company of a child, but that he would enjoy it so much that it would become his favorite activity, Tony would have called that person crazy. And yet, he did. The series of meetings he and Pepper had scheduled to promote the Maria Stark Scholarship had lasted no more than three weeks. The results had been excellent, and the board had gladly authorized a large increase in the scholarship funds after meeting Peter. No wonder, of course, because the little boy was able to win anyone's affection with just a smile.  
Initially they had committed to fostering the boy for a month, but days before the deadline they found themselves building a drone with which they intended to take pictures of the meteor shower that was scheduled to take place in a few more weeks and then perform a holographic recreation of it. All this would take at least six weeks and when the boy realized it, he couldn't help but be disappointed and Tony felt his heart —the one he wasn’t sure of having— break a little.  
"Could I... Mr. Stark, do you think I could come see you when everything's ready? I think Gladys would let me come again just to see it. Could I? Please? Or maybe, if you go to New York someday, you could show me. If... if it's not too much trouble, maybe..."  
"I think we can work something out, kid." He said to him, messing up his hair while he watched the little boy's brown eyes get their shine back. "Now go to wash your hands and let's get something to eat before Pepper comes looking for us. We don't want to see her angry, do we, bud?" Peter shook his head and ran to obey. He was the most docile and intelligent little boy Tony had ever met. Of course, he didn't know many of them, but he was sure that even if he knew thousands of them, Peter would stand out.  
The boy cleaned the table with that strange obsession of being useful, and while he and Pepper were washing the dishes, he took the opportunity to talk to her.  
"We arranged with the social worker to take Peter to her on Friday." He commented in a casual tone.  
She sighed for a long time before giving the boy a fleeting glance and a smile that Peter reciprocated with sincerity, it was surprising that despite all that had happened in his short life, he was always in such good spirits.  
"I was starting to get used to having him around. He was our best ambassador with the scholarship funds; no one could have done better. I hope Gladys can find him a good family."  
"I was thinking... yesterday we started a project and the boy is very excited, but it will take some time to finish it so I thought we could talk to the social worker and ask her to leave him with us for a couple more months, just while we finish. The kid's earned it, don't you think?"  
"Are you sure Peter is the only one excited about that project?" she asked, smiling, after kissing his cheek. "Sometimes I think that one day you two will weld the door of the lab shut and it will be impossible to get you out. Looks like you finally found an assistant who can keep up with you."  
She was of course right. Throughout her life he had worked with thousands of people, very few - really, only one or two - had not turned out to be torture. Incredibly, he had never been so comfortable and relaxed as he was with that little boy. The brat was a true little genius, no doubt about it, he could be as smart or even smarter than he was, although sadly the kid had not had a tenth of the opportunities he had had since birth.  
There was something almost magical in the way the boy's eyes sparkled when Tony explained something to him and he managed to understand it and then put it into practice; something that impelled Tony to teach him more and more things that his prodigious brain absorbed like a sponge that seemed to have no limits. In addition to an agile mind, he had skilled hands and was tireless. He was, in short, the perfect assistant.  
As fascinating as his abilities was his kindness. He never asked for anything; he thankfully accepted what was offered to him and did his best to help with the duties of the house. It was no great surprise when the first and only time he asked for anything was not for himself, but for an orphanage whose representative was raising funds at the reception while Peter waited for him and Pepper to leave a meeting.  
"So, you're okay with it?" Tony asked, trying to sound disinterested.  
"Of course. I think it will do him good, he has already gained some weight and seems more confident, don't you think? Besides, with all he's been learning with you I wouldn't be surprised if he could even skip a grade or two."  
"No, if I can help it." He assured with determination. From his own experience he knew what a hell it was to attend a class where everyone else was older. "The best thing for him is to be with children his own age. If he gets bored, he can take extra lessons with private teachers. I don't want him to be exploited like a circus freak."  
Pepper just studied him for a few moments, intuiting that his little outburst had much deeper roots that he didn't want to dig up. To divert attention, he called Peter's attention to announce the decision they had just made. Needless to say, the boy was delighted with the news.  
The routine they had begun to create during the first few weeks was consolidated with that extra time. During the week they ate breakfast in a hurry, but they made an effort to do it together, as long as Pepper's constant trips allowed them to do so, then she went to the office, Peter took classes with the private teacher they decided to hire for him and Tony worked for a few hours in the lab or went to some meetings at Stark Industries, the afternoon was dedicated almost entirely to the boy, either working on his project with the drone, building Lego sets that the kid was fond of or watching some movies. Sometimes they would surprise Pepper with a self-made dinner and end the day talking or reading in the living room, until Peter would fall asleep with his head on one of the adults' knees.  
Because of his work schedule and constant traveling, Pepper spent less time with the boy and Tony was the one who lived with Peter the most, so it was not surprising that the child felt a little more attached or confident by his side. He was sure that this had nothing to do with the fact that he was Iron Man, because since the first time they had the opportunity to talk, the questions that the boy asked him were always of another nature, and if they were related to his famous second identity, they were always about the technical aspects of the suit, its operation, its construction, that really fascinated the boy.  
There were very few people in his life who were with him because he was only Tony, and not because of his money, his power, his relationships or Iron Man. If there was one thing he was convinced of, it was that the reverential look with which Peter always looked at him was due solely to all the things he learned from him. It was something similar to the pleasure he felt when he noticed that the knowledge he shared was so well received. Nothing more.  
Then something happened that brought down that theory so loudly that it rocked his whole world.  
The first thing that made him suspect that something was wrong was the silence that reigned in his work area. Although Peter had been reserved, shy and silent for the first few days, it took him only a couple of weeks to feel confident enough to let go of his flood of questions without holding back at all. Sometimes he would tell a little story of what his life had been like in one of his other foster homes, at school, or from something he had read somewhere. It was hard for him to be quiet for more than a couple of minutes no matter how focused he was on his work; in fact, it seemed that talking helped him concentrate. He was quite a peculiar child, so when more than ten minutes passed and he didn't say a word, Tony began to worry. A few minute after, he heard him trying to muffle a complaint. He went over to his side to ask Peter what was wrong and when he noticed how he tightened his stomach he did not need other confirmation to know the cause of his discomfort. Without thinking twice, he carried him to his room and put him to bed, the kid’s forehead was much warmer than normal, and he seemed sleepy.  
Without thinking much about it, he did the little he remembered his mother did when he was sick, and she was at home. He made him a cup of tea after calling the doctor and could not conceal his relief when he was assured that it was not serious; although that, of course, did not prevent him from feeling helpless because he could not end the child's pain instantly.  
No matter how hard he tried to hide it, the child was not having a good time; however, far from complaining, every time he could say a couple of words, they were dedicated to apologizing. And when minutes later the little boy ended up involuntarily emptying his stomach contents onto him, he seemed almost frightened. He didn't want to go into the way the poor creature should have been treated earlier when he was sick, to make him react that way. He tried hard to calm him down, but no matter how many times he repeated that it didn't matter what had just happened, the boy didn't calm down until after a while of having his head on his chest. A few minutes later, when he tried to change his position, Peter, probably thinking he was about to leave, clenched his jacket in his fist without even opening his eyes.  
There was something in that almost instinctive movement that made him understand that the bond that had already been created between them was more than temporary. As he stroked his hair trying to put him to sleep, he realized that he could no longer kick him out of his life, so the words he heard next shook him again.  
"Tony, I can't do this anymore. I can't do this anymore. We can't. I want to get it over with."  
"It's about Peter, isn't it?" She nodded.  
"We promised him we'd spend Christmas together. It's only a few more days..." It didn't take a genius to conclude that this was the least opportune moment to mention that after the holidays he had thought of asking for Peter's time with them to be extended a little further.  
She shook her head in determination to refuse.  
"After what happened today, I understood that I cannot do it. It can't be a few more days. We need to get this over with."  
He knew well that tone, cold and slow, that hid an iron determination. Any decision she had made would be almost impossible to change. But he had made a promise to the boy, and part of him, which was already impossible to keep quiet, was insisting more and more stubbornly that Peter belonged in that house, that this child was his, and letting him go would be one of his biggest mistakes. However, saying it aloud frightened him, he was afraid that anyone who heard him would confirm that he was crazy and that the child would be better off with someone else than at his side. If Pepper didn't agree, he would lose the child forever. Weeks earlier he had made sure that the child's education was covered and was of good quality. Peter would want for nothing, but while that might be enough for the kid it was not for him, because he wanted to always be a part of his life.  
"Pepp, go to sleep. I'll take care of him. Tomorrow he'll probably be better, and things won't seem so complicated." He wanted to believe that after a good rest he could convince her to wait a few more days, but the traces of vomit on her silk blouse and her own pants did not bode well.  
"No. Tony, I couldn't sleep if we didn't talk about this now."


	3. Pepper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Pepper really wants...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go. Please let me know what do you think.
> 
> Next update: And Then You saved Me.

It happened one of the first days Peter was with them. There was something so lovely about the scene that it just stuck in her memory like a photograph. And yes, of course, he had asked JARVIS to save the image and send it to her mailbox, although in reality it was enough for her to close her eyes to relive it: the boy was climbing on a box to reach the table; behind him, Tony was holding out his hand to show him the right way to weld the little pieces of whatever they were building. Rarely had she seen such patience and gentleness in her husband's actions, or such a calm and satisfied expression on his face; the boy's eyes were glowing, and their happy expression was visible even with the welding masks on.

For someone who had always refused categorically to have children, Anthony Edward Stark was revealed before her as a wonderful father. Peter became his little shadow and would not leave his side unless he really had to. It was clear that they both enjoyed each other's presence and benefited from it. The boy opened up completely to Tony after only a few days, even though he talked and laughed with her, it was with him that she felt most confident. The pair's relationship grew so fast and so deep that after a couple of months it was hard to believe that they hadn't always known each other or that they weren't actually father and son.

When she herself realized how ingrained the child's presence was and tried to warn Tony, it was too late because she had also fallen victim to the kid’s charm. She enjoyed arriving tired from a long trip or a particularly heavy meeting and finding the two of them laughing and preparing dinner. She liked to stand in the doorway of the laboratory with a falsely serious gesture and order them out to eat something and notice that the child unconsciously already copied the adult's gestures and slowly imitated even their sense of humor. For the first time since she started living in the huge Malibu Mansion, it felt like a real home.

She accepted every extension of Peter's time with them but understood that the whole situation was inevitably leading to a decision that would change their lives forever or to a separation that would break everyone's heart. Pepper wasn't ready for either. Or so she believed until the day Peter got sick and put it all in perspective.

Luckily it was not a serious illness, although it broke her heart to see her child suffering, what really started to killing her was watching Tony's almost motherly diligence in caring for the little boy and then imagining that, when Peter left her side, he would have no one to stroke his hair, hold him and repeat him that everything would be fine until convinced him of it.

The little hand clinging to Tony's jacket was a further indication that this situation was now irreversible for all concerned. When they finally got the boy to fall asleep, she decided it was time to finally talk about the elephant in the room.

"Peter has been with us for six months. For six months he's been part of our lives, we have a routine now." She stood up and started walking around the room without looking at him. "I don't understand how anyone else can do this over and over again, Tony, but I know I can't. I've known it for months; maybe since the first time I saw both of you working together or when Peter started copying your gestures; seeing him sick today only served me to confirm that. I didn't imagine that I could go back to sleep knowing that when he got sick neither you nor I would be there to take care of him... that maybe he wouldn't have anyone to do it."

She couldn't help but have a couple of tears run down her cheeks, and when she turned to look at her husband, he had a look of total confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Tony, tell me you don't think so. Tell me you don't already love that child as your own, that you can give him up and forget about him, because if you do, I don't care; I'll adopt him myself because there's no way I'm separating from my child!"

Before she had time to react, she felt familiar arms around her and someone kissing her frantically.

"God, I was so scared, Miss Potts." He told her without letting go. "I thought you wanted us to turn Peter in before Christmas. I thought that..." he laughed in a way that could only be described as neurotic.

"If anyone wants to take that boy away from me, they'll have to go over my dead body. And that includes you, Tony Stark!" She kissed him back, feeling the weight she had carried on her shoulders over the past few months evaporate quickly.

"So, we're going to adopt him, uh? We're officially going to be parents?"

"I think we're parents already, honey." He told her by first observing the vomit stains on her blouse. The two laughed before hugging each other.

"Tomorrow we'll call the lawyers to prepare the papers and the social worker. We need to sort out the school thing and maybe it would be better to move to New York..."

She put her hand to his lips to get him to shut up. He looked like a child talking about his presents on Christmas morning and Pepper wondered if she had ever loved him more.

"I think we should talk to him first, don't you?"

"Yes, yes; of course. Do you think he'll disagree?" A poorly disguised note of insecurity could be heard in his voice.

"I don't think that's a problem, but we should ask him anyway."

They kept talking and making plans for several more minutes until a loud noise from the room that months ago had stopped being 'guest’s' and became Peter's, brought them back to reality. They ran out to look for the boy and found him in the bathroom, with the dirty sheets in the sink, a broken glass at his feet and most seriously of all, a small pool of blood from one of his feet that was getting bigger by the minute.

Before she could react, Tony was already beside the little kid, taking him in his arms and leaving him on the bed while he started to examine his foot carefully.

"What the hell were you doing there, buddy?” His tone was calm, and it was evident that he was trying hard to remain serene, even though he was probably as scared as Peter.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to clean up. I'm sorry." the boy muttered, as he shrank.

When they met him, he had seemed small for his seven years, now eight and almost curled up as he was at the time, he looked almost like a toddler.

"You have too many pieces of glass; some are too small." The boy sighed and hung on his arm, apologizing again and again. "Okay, buddy, it was an accident. Everything's going to be okay. We're going to take a walk to the hospital and in a few minutes you’ll be as good as new." He explained as he carefully wrapped the little boy's foot in a towel. Then he carefully took him in his arms while Peter continued crying in silence and hiding his face in the man's chest.

"I'm driving. You take him." It was obvious that the boy found more comfort in Tony's arms than in hers, and she did not hesitate to do what she thought was best for Peter.

It took them just a few minutes to get to the hospital emergency room and once there they didn't need much persuasion to get immediate attention. Peter meekly allowed himself to be poked, disinfected, and stitched without a single complaint, though the tears still ran silently and constantly down his little face.

"That's all, Peter. You are very brave. Now, you will only need to take one of these pills for a few days and be careful to not put your foot down for a couple of weeks. We've got some funny colored crutches for you. What color do you prefer?" The doctor who treated him was a short woman with a stern face, but very kind, who did everything possible to gain the child's trust.

"I think red is your color, Pete." Tony said at the end, when the boy just shrugged his shoulders.

Luckily, the fever and the upset stomach seemed to be under control, and they were able to go home without any further problems. At that moment they attributed the boy's silence partly to the pain and partly to the shock. Peter practically hung on to Tony's neck the whole way back and the only words he uttered were a couple of almost inaudible yeses and noes.

With Tony, his father, beside him stroking his hair and curled up next to him in bed, the boy soon fell asleep with still fresh tears on his cheeks.

The next morning, Peter awkwardly started to move with the crutches and although he smiled weakly every time Tony encouraged him and told him how well he was doing, when she tried to cheer him up she only got a distant thank you in return. She was sure it wasn't her imagination; Peter was acting strange with her. He avoided looking her in the eye and walked away from her when she tried to touch him. All his words since he was found bleeding in the bathroom were directed exclusively to Tony, and although he would answer politely if she asked him any questions, it was a brief and elusive response.

Although they had thought that the boy's silence since the accident was due to shock, Pepper soon began to suspect that there was more to it than that. The boy's face showed more sadness than pain or discomfort.

In the afternoon, Tony offered to make him something to eat and left her in the care of Peter, who had already been sent to his room to rest. The boy's discomfort was almost contagious, so, trying to give him space, she left his side and started to put some order in the room that had been left as a war zone after his quick run to the hospital the previous night. She started by picking up the laundry from the floor and also came across one of SI's in-house magazines, casually picking it up for recycling.

"No!" Peter's scream startled her, to say the least. "Can I have it?"

The cover of the magazine had a picture of Tony standing with his shoulder around Peter, who was standing on a chair, as she recalled, that had been one of the first sessions that Peter had been with them.

When Pepper turned to hand it over, he was surprised to see that he was crying again.

"Please." He begged again, reaching out to the magazine. "I don't want my birthday Legos or clothes. Just the magazine, please, can I take it with me when I leave?"

She was really confused, because she had no idea what Peter meant. She handed him the magazine and before she sat down next to him again she left her clothes on the couch.

"Of course you can keep it, honey. In fact, would you like us to print one just alike and frame it?"

"And can I take it with me when I leave? I don't want the clothes. Just the picture, please?" His little hands were clinging to the magazine like it was a lifeline.

Pepper looked at the clothes he had just left on the couch trying to understand.

"Pete, you're not going anywhere. I just want to take the clothes to the cleaners, that's all. They're your clothes; they're your toys, and the picture we're going to frame you can have it here." She pointed to the bureau next to the bed.

"Aren't I going to leave today?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course not!" She said to him by stroking his hair and was happy when he allowed her to do so.

"If I do the laundry and clean, and promise not to get sick, can I stay until Christmas?"

It took her a few seconds, but she finally understood. That was the reason the boy had gotten out of bed to wash the sheets the night before.

"Honey, you heard us talking about you yesterday, right? You think I was mad because you got sick and wanted to get you back with Gladys? Is that why you're sad?

The little boy nodded, and Pepper couldn't do anything but hug him while she asked Jarvis to find her husband. They had to talk to the boy at once, and for that she needed him present.

"What's the matter?" He said, juggling the tray in his hands as he pushed the door through. "Does it hurt again, Pete?" he asked sitting next to him after he placed the tray in one of the bureaus.

"Tony, Peter heard us talking last night. He thinks I want to..." She couldn't stop her voice from cracking. She had never considered herself to be a particularly emotional woman, but the thought that the child believed her capable of wanting to return him as if he were a pair of shoes that did not fit her, really broke her heart. " He thinks that I want him to go away."

Both adults crossed a quick glance before Tony finished understanding and turned to Peter again.

"What? Are you crazy, buddy? If they put her in a position to choose between you and me, I'm the one who'd have to pack his things."

Pepper couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of guilt when she recalled that in their previous conversation she had made it clear that she was willing to adopt the child on her own if necessary.

Peter looked at the two of them in surprise, as if he didn't dare believe them.

"Can I stay for Christmas?"

"Of course you do. In fact, there's something we want to ask you, Pete." Pepper said to him without parting from him. She gestured to Tony so that he would ask the question.

"Would you like to stay with us? Not just for this Christmas, but forever. Peter, would you like us to adopt you? Would you like to live with us?" he asked, looking expectantly at the child. Pepper took his hand and gave him a gentle squeeze to instill confidence.

"Forever? As if I were your son?" The boy's eyes have never looked so big to him.

"Yes. Peter, forever. Would you like Tony to be your dad?" The little boy nodded so enthusiastically that the bed began to tremble under the weight of the three of them, looking at Tony as if he were in the middle of a dream and waiting for him to return to reality at any moment. Foolishly she began to feel like an intruder, as if she was not sure of her place in that small family that was about to be formed. "What about me, honey? Can I be your mom, too? Would you like that?" She asked him with a shyness she hadn't felt in years.

The boy looked at her deeply for a moment that seemed like an eternity, finally smiled again and threw his arms around her neck and nodded again with enthusiasm.

Unable to move, they spent the night in that same bed, each beside the child, who kept his head on his father's chest, while holding his mother's hand, sleep came over him after a few minutes, but even after he fell soundly asleep, he didn't stop smiling, in fact, none of the three did for a long, long time.


	4. Peter Stark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now, Peter Stark a few years after his adoption.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still looking for a beta. Please??  
> Next, I'm not sure, maybe And Then You Saved Me or maybe a new work. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.  
> Please, let me know any mistakes, I'm sure there are a lot :(

Flash Thompson was a pretty dumb kid. Peter was already used to being teased and picked on for being adopted, but even after the teachers and everyone repeated that there was nothing wrong with that, Flash kept telling everyone that Peter was not a true Stark and that any moment his parents would get bored of him and return him to the place where they had taken him.

Of course, that wasn't true. His dad had told him so a thousand times. He always told him that his mom would be able to turn the world upside down if anyone tried to take him away from her. Because now Peter had a dad and a mom and they cared about him so much that they had even moved to New York so that he didn't have to change schools, and everything was fine, more than fine, everything was perfect. And he didn't think anything wrong when they told him that very soon he would be a big brother. After all, almost everyone had siblings. It was a very normal thing.

But then Flash told him that it wasn't normal for him, because he was adopted, because the new baby -a girl- who was a real Stark, wasn't his sister, because Peter didn't have any real family. Flash had said that now that Mr. and Mrs. Stark, who weren't Peer's parents, had a daughter of their own blood, they didn't need Peter, in fact, he was in their way.

And he didn't believe any of that, because his parents loved him. They had proven that to him in the almost three years that he had been living with them. They loved him, looked after him, sometimes scolded him if he stayed up playing or reading after his bedtime, but that's what all parents did, Ned assured him. And he also told him that babies needed help with everything and that's why parents were always stuck with them, but then they grew up and everything went back to the way it was before, only with one more person.

Peter really loved his sister, even though Morgan did nothing but cry and sleep, she was cute, when she looked at him and squeezed one of his fingers with her little chubby hand he understood why his parents spent so much time with her. He loved her very much and continued loving her when no one showed up for his science contest because she got sick and dad had to stay with her because mom was away. Flash didn't miss the opportunity to remind him that he had already warned him that this would happen and that it wouldn't be long before he was returned to the orphanage.

And Tony did arrive, although by then it was all over. He apologized for not being on time and explained that he had to stay with Morgan until he was sure that the fever would go down, he bought him an ice cream, although they had to eat it in the car because he wanted to return with the baby as soon as possible.

None of that meant that Flash was right... not much. Because it was true that his father had missed his contest to be with his sister, but he had only done it because she was sick and not because he loved her more or because she was his real kid. He had told him that he would do the same for him, and Peter believed him, not only because dad never lied to him but because many times he had missed very important meetings or even canceled trips for him, like when he fell down the stairs and broke his wrist and dad left a meeting with that man who was on the news a lot to go to the hospital with him.

If a few days later it occurred to him to do something to make sure that things hadn't changed, it was simply because he liked science and all scientists had to test their theories with experiments. So, the next Friday at dinner time he left more than half the food on his plate untouched and asked to leave the table early.

"Did you finish your homework, buddy?"

He nodded very slowly.

"Do you want to help me in the lab? Dum-E needs some repairs.

He shook his head, again very slowly, and sighed as he looked at his plate.

"Can I go to my room?" he asked, bowing his head.

"Are you all right, honey?" Mom already had her hand on his forehead and was looking at him worried.

"My stomach hurts."

"I'll make you some tea, try to sleep for a while and if you still feel sick later, we'll call the doctor, okay?" Mom kissed him on the forehead and went to the kitchen.

He nodded quickly before addressing his father. "Can we watch a movie?" He asked after nodding to mom, and for a moment was almost afraid that the answer was 'no', because before answering dad looked at him as he used to do when asked him if he was sure he was carrying everything he needed for school in his backpack.

"Sure. How about some ice cream and popcorn?" Peter shook his head in affirmative with too much enthusiasm. When he realized he had made a mistake, there was nothing he could do to correct it. He saw his parents share a quick glance, the kind of glance he couldn't quite understand.

"Go to your room; I'll be with you in two minutes." Dad said.

He almost jumped when he turned around to go to his room. It wasn't the first time they spent the afternoon watching a movie, but it made him very happy to know that Flash wasn't right; his parents loved him as much as his sister and if they had left him for her, it was only because the baby was sick, not because he was adopted. He stared at them for a while without them noticing. Mom did the dishes and dad made some popcorn.

Everything was perfect.

Then Morgan started crying.

The two of them stopped what they were doing and looked at each other to decide who would go to her.

"I'll go." He finally said.

With a sigh he turned around and went into his room before they saw him, sure that there would be no movie that night. From his room he could hear Morgan crying, but after a while all he could think about was that Flash was right after all. He took the picture from his bureau and after looking at it for a while he hugged it and slept with it. Although many more had been taken during those three years, that one was still his favorite; the first one. He squeezed his eyes very hard to prevent any tear escaping from them. Maybe it was a good idea to sleep for a while, even if her stomach didn't really hurt.

He almost fell asleep, or he was and was awakened by the smell of popcorn before the door opened.

"Do you really feel ill? Do you want to leave the movie for later?" Dad raised his eyebrows like he always did when was worried.

Before he could sit down, Dad had already left the tray with ice cream and popcorn on the bureau and was pulling Peter’s hair out of his forehead.

"And Mo?" he asked without getting up.

"She just needed a diaper change." He replied by sitting next to him in bed. "So, movie, doctor or nap? Either way, you're stuck with me for the rest of the day, kid."

That really made him smile. He hugged his father like a koala and with his nose into his chest he mumbled ‘movie’ with great confidence.

Not an inch away from his father he heard him ask Jarvis to play the movie. He listened to the opening song and the first lines with eyes still closed, he could stay in that position for days on end, listening to his dad’s heartbeat and feeling his chest rise and fall, as he struggled to make his own breathing take the same rhythm.

Just as he was beginning to feel comfortable and secure, Morgan's cry was heard again. Peter moved, knowing that his moment would end, and he would inevitably be left alone again, but his father, far from getting up, pushed him closer to him.

"Let's leave the girls to their own, okay? He winked at him, before kissing him on the head.

He didn't leave, they talked about what was going on in the movie or how his day had been at school, and about the new projects that could help him and what they would do that weekend and he was totally happy, so happy that when he realized it he started feeling guilty.

"Dad?" he called him snuggling closer to the man. "My stomach doesn't really hurt." He confessed to him. He sighed, sure that he was about to get a scolding, but instead Tony hugged him harder and smiled.

"I knew it, Pete. For future reference, you're a very bad liar. Something your mom and I will appreciate in a few more years." He wasn't angry at all, in fact, he was laughing and still hugging him.

"Then why did you stay with me?"

"Because I wanted to spend time with my son." He told her by kissing his head. "I wanted to spend time with my very silly genius son who doesn't understand that he doesn't need to pretend to be sick for me to want to be with him, because I will always want to be with him."

"And with Morgan." He mumbled very softly; he didn't really want to be heard.

"Yes, with your sister too. With my two children."

"But more with her; because she's your real daughter." He didn't want to cry, he was too old to cry, but he couldn't help it.

Tony squeezed him even tighter and kissed him again as he laughed.

"Of course, she's my real daughter, I thought you were too, I'll have to run some tests to see if you're some kind of superadvanced hologram and not a real child." He started tickling him, and even though he didn't want to, he had to laugh. "That sounds like a real kid, so I have two real kids. That's great, for a moment I thought I'd have to go to a psychiatrist."

"No." He said when he was finally able to speak again. "Morgan is real because she's a Stark."

Then Dad moved out of bed, took one of the trophies Peter had won and read it:

"Peter B. Stark, first place in the..."

"That's not what I mean." He interrupted him, taking the trophy from his hands and rolling her eyes. That was the first one he had won under his new name, maybe that's why it was his favorite. He sighed, but refused to look at his father, who was already sitting across from him.

"I know what you mean, son," he put his hand on his cheek to make him raise his face. "but I want you to just realize how silly it sounds. You are as much my son —our son— as Morgan. We love you both the same, you're as Stark as I am."

"But..."

Tony sighed. "Tell me something, bud, do you love us less because we're not your real parents? If tomorrow some relative of yours suddenly showed up, or your biological parents, would you love them more just because they have the same blood?"

While waiting for his answer Peter noticed that dad seemed almost scared. He thought about what he had just asked him. The first thing he felt when he imagined that someone would suddenly appear and want to take him away from his parents, Tony and Pepper, was fear. Then he thought that if his real parents were alive and had always been with him, he would love them very much. As much as he loved Tony and Pepper, but he didn't think it was possible that he could love them more. He had known children who didn't love their parents, usually because they were mean to them. He assumed that if his real parents weren't dead and loved him as much as Tony and Pepper did, he would love them just the same, because he didn't think it was possible to love them more. Is that why dad seemed scared? Was he afraid that he wouldn't love him as much because he wasn't his real father?

"No." Without thinking much about it, he jumped into his father's arms. He went from being the one who sought comfort to feeling the pressing need to comfort his dad. "I love you so much, dad."

"And I love you too, kiddo. But now you are two kids, Pete, and there will be times when we can't be with you because your sister needs us, or we won't be with her because you will be the priority. It will never be because one is more loved than other. The good news is that you and Morgan will always have each other too. He added with a more animated tone.

"Because we are family."

"Yeap. Now enough philosophizing for today. Movie night, remember?" Peter nodded without hesitation.

He always heard that all parents loved their kids because they were their children. It was like an obligation. But Pepper and Tony loved him not because they had to, they did it because they had chosen to love him, and he supposed that was much better.

When the movie was almost over the door opened and mom appeared smiling as usual.

"Can I join the party or is it just for boys?" she asked. Peter stuck closer to his father to make some room for her on the other side of the bed. The three of them talked and laughed until the middle of the second movie, when Morgan started crying and Pepper had to get up to calm her down.

"I don't think she likes being alone." Peter said, perhaps thinking his sister was too much like him. "Can you bring her so we can all be together?" He asked, and mom agreed on, smiling.

A few minutes later the bed was filled with the four Starks. The parents occupied the banks, leaving the little ones in the middle. The baby, comfortably settled between her mother and her older brother, soon fell asleep. The adults had a good time, sharing warm smiles between them with tender looks at their children.

Flash didn't stop bothering him for the same thing for a long time, but Peter learned to ignore him, because after all, what did he know about the things going on in his house with his family? Because Peter was a Stark and had a family. Peter just forgot everything about Flash, because, as everyone used to say in those days, Peter Stark was a very lucky boy, and he totally agreed, not because he was a Stark, but because he had a mum and a dad who loved him very much, a little sister who cried a lot, and if, on his next birthday he got what he wanted, he'd get a dog too.

What could be better than that?


End file.
